The invention pertains to sheet plastic devices for forming packages of a plurality of containers. The present invention relates generally to a unique construction of a container carrier useful for holding a plurality of containers as a unit, which allows for the quick release of the containers held by the carrier. More specifically, the invention relates to a weakened section formed on the integral webs which can be ruptured under the influence of forces applied to the integral webs by means of a tear strip, thereby freeing the containers. Container carriers, roughly similar to the carrier of the present invention, have been in use for many years. Although such container carriers can be employed in many aspects, one of the more popular employments is to hold a plurality of beverage containing cans, bottles, or other containers together as a unit called a "six-pack."
The six pack, and other numbered units all have the same general construction. The patents of Rapata, U.S. Pat. No. 3,038,602, and Poupitch, U.S. Pat. No. 3,084,792, disclose the common structure. Generally, a blank in the form of a continuous sheet of flexible, elastic material, such as polyethylene, and the like, has apertures therein which accept and firmly hold a plurality of containers.
The apertures have a periphery which is smaller than a corresponding periphery of the containers. Therefore, in order for the periphery of the apertures to accept the periphery of the containers, the apertures are stretched, often to the limits of their structural integrity. The periphery of the containers are inserted into the stretched apertures, and then the apertures are allowed to return toward their original condition, but the apertures do not achieve their original condition and remain tensioned due to the presence of the containers therein.
The periphery of the apertures constricts and forms around the periphery of the containers, thereby assuring that the containers are held snugly in the apertures of the carrier. This snug fit is a convenience to anyone employing the container carriers, such as consumers, merchants, and the like, when they transport the containers, such as to home after purchase, to a picnic, or to a merchandise display at some retail location. The elasticity of the material of the blank assures that the containers will be held firmly in the apertures.
To further insure a snug fit, and to add to the convenience of the consumer, both Poupitch and the patent of Rhoads, U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,824, disclose a band formed from the blank capable of being torn away from the blank. The band can be drawn downward to surround the containers, thereby adding further to the snug fit between the plurality of containers and the carrier.
The container carriers, in sheet form, are applied to a plurality of containers in assembly line fashion. The sheet of carrier containers, now bearing containers, is cut so that a single, smaller container carrier is formed. For a six pack construction, this cutting takes place after every sixth row of containers. Alternative numbered units will be cut in different locations, depending on the desired number of containers.
The container carriers, and thereby the containers, are moved down an assembly line to a place where they are placed within boxes, crates, or other suitable containers. The crates are then loaded into a vehicle of sorts for transport to a customer, a retailer, for instance. The retailer removes the container carriers and the associated containers from the crates and usually constructs an attractive merchandise display of the containers. The attractive merchandise displays draw the attention of consumers, who then purchase the containers for their own personal use.